VOLUME 26               MAY 2009                NUMBER  5

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

From Antique Radio Classified for May 2009
(Copyright 1996-2009 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

Welcome to the realities of 2009. Yes, this month's A.R.C. that you are holding in your hand is small. However, it contains everything a regular issue of A.R.C. contains, except the articles. And, the June issue will make up for that loss and include articles for both months. Ultimately, you will get the same information, and we will save a few dollars.

As with all of you, we must make some significant changes to survive these difficult times. And difficult times they are. For you, it could be that much of your retirement nest egg has evaporated, or even worse, you have lost a job. At the very least, you may be worried about your job security.

Everywhere in the country, homes have been lost, mortgages have become a burden, and credit impossible to come by. In the publishing industry, magazines and newspapers are downsizing, disappearing, fleeing to Internet-only publishing. As a highly specialized, niche publication, A.R.C. has all the challenges of major publications, plus a few extras. Times have changed dramatically in the radio-collecting community since A.R.C.'s founding in the 1980s. In those days, A.R.C. was the only way to keep in touch regularly with thousands of people like you -- you who love old radio and want to preserve its history.

Today, technology has given us the Internet, a wonderful instant communication and search resource, as well as an alternative to or substitute for print publication and journalism. And also today, many of us in the radio-collecting community are older (many of our early subscribers and major collectors are gone), and young people, so caught up in modern technology, find it difficult to appreciate or to relate to old-time radio.

We believe that there still is a place for A.R.C. We will continue to evolve, but we need your support. A.R.C. takes journalism seriously. We publish in-depth articles, compile and publish a comprehensive events calendar, and provide a clearing house for what is happening in antique radio.

We are the voice of antique radio. We know of no other club or publication that is set up to respond to telephone calls, letters, e-mails from anyone, with the usual questions -- "What is my radio worth? Where can I get more information? Where can I meet others interested in this hobby?" We send out hundreds of free samples of A.R.C. each year to spread the word about the joy of radio collecting and about antique radio preservation. These gratis efforts benefit all collectors and clubs.

Unfortunately, we cannot lower our prices, but we can give subscribers an incentive to continue to support us by subscribing, advertising, and making purchases from A.R.C. rather than from other sources. This month, we include a $5 coupon on page 30, good until June 10, 2009, that can be used for any purchase (except advertising) over $30 -- perhaps a renewal or a book purchase. And, you still get free shipping and a 10 percent discount. New subscribers can use the coupon toward a subscription.

We are working hard to keep A.R.C. coming to you and hope that this plan of cost-saving by varying the size of the magazine will help us to reach that goal. Enjoy what is here and look forward to the June issue, which will be a banner one in celebration of our 25th anniversary.

A.R.C. Benefits. Be sure to take advantage of A.R.C. benefits: a toll-free number (866) 371-0512; Discover, MasterCard, American Express, Visa accepted; the Web, www.antiqueradio.com; books shipped free in the U. S. by USPS media mail; and for current subscribers, a 10 percent discount on all book orders. And, don't forget to use the subscriber $5 coupon soon!

Coming Radio Events. Spring is in full swing for collecting activities. Listed are 6 auctions, 9 meets, and 26 meetings. Get out and enjoy!

Happy Collecting!

John V. Terrey, Editor

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ON THE COVER

The drawing on our cover reflects our current state of facing the reality of hard times. Grandpa may fantasize about an ideal, but Grandma is there to remind him of the conditions of his real world. The illustration is from the cover of the 1924-1925 fall and winter catalog of the C.C. White Electric Co. in the John V. Terrey collection. The company, located in Dallas and Houston, Texas, advertised radios from such manufacturers as Freed-Eisemann and Magnavox in a price range of $95 to $175, as well as others like Crosley sets listing as low as $14.50. Wholesale discounts of 30 to 40 percent were also available to dealers.

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OOPS!

The colorful Motorola display on our April cover was Frank Feczko's entry in the 2008 AWA old equipment contest. Our apologies to Frank for the mistake in his name. We have no idea how he became "Bob," instead of "Frank," in the attribution. Though our accuracy track record is pretty good, we deeply regret such errors.